To say life has been busy....is a mild understatement....ok....so It's not been mild and its been Insanely busy for Tim and I, all within the context of what is about to transpire in just 38 days. The rings, the dongs, the pings, the tinkle-tinkle of my Blackberry has infiltrated my days more times than I can count within these past 30 days. Some days, over 30 messages and calls have come across my phone in just a matter of a few hours!!! Isn't life supposed to be simpler with all these modern conveniences ??!!
Questions ranging from "what do I pack" to "HELP" my teenager is not telling me anything and I don't understand why we are not getting along!"........"Will we get water everyday???!!!" I never thought my developing micro managing skills that have been honed in the Camp Daniel kitchen would eventually begin to pay off. :) You just never know!!!
Some days, I can't seem to determine which end is up and keeping up with all the details and before I know it, very quickly my day becomes a twister in the process and I strive to keep the flow of continuity going in the intended direction.
After having planned and organized 8 trips over the last 14 years, one would think that it would get easier in planning and anticipating all the details and organization that each trip involves. Just as technology evolves over time, so does the details and valuable info that you work with changes too. Believe it or not, its not so textbook standard. As the world we live in and our own "worlds" change , we must strive to change our way of thinking and press forward to take on the context of the trip in that which we will be participating. Our goal is to press the team to strive and be ready ready for change and to change.
What I am coming to learn is that even though I tend to see change or stressful situations as hard and uncomfortable and disruptions to my life, its not the right "context" into how I should be seeing it. My way of "contextualizing" the difficulty is not the right way to go.
You see our nature is to go back to what is familiar , to what is comfortable for us or the context we know so well in order to handle our circumstances, situations, processes, however you want to word it.
Instead, we ARE to take on the mind of Christ in ALL things! Easy to say, hard to do! But the truth of it is, that when we take on the "context" of Christ and His ways, all the stresses of life, all the discomforts that forces us to look hard at what we must do to change our attitudes, our perspectives, our way of handling things.....is what frees us to be Christlike and to take on His nature and to operate in His strength, His leading and to see the world through His Eyes. We are filled with compassion for those who are lost and we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as He leads and directs us.
One of those contexts that we tend to try to bring with us in when we go on a trip is our way of thinking of how we should feel. Comfort is one such area that we see as a luxury that we assume is our right and our prerogative. Regardless of the environment, we see that is a necessity. Not always willing to forgo or let go of in order to fully submit to allow ourselves to crossover and flow in the context in which we are entering....we hang on to what we know best. What I fail to remember or recognize that when I chose to follow Christ, I lay down what is my rights, my prerogative, my comfort to take up the cross and follow Christ.
This past week, my son Tommy was preparing for a week long "field trip' he is taking with his class at school this week at a camp north of Crivitz. They will be spending 5 days and 4 nights at this campground. One of my son's comforts is a fan. He depends on that fan to cool him down, to provide a "white sound" soothing effect that helps him to fall asleep. He cannot sleep without it. And he cannot take it with him for the week. So needless to say, we've had many discussions on how he will have to try to get along without it. It was no easy task to work him through it. We prayed about it and talked about him turning to God at the times when he needs that "comfort" most of all. I pray that it will become something he learns to depend on the "God of all comfort" in those times he needs to be comforted.
Yesterday, Little Tony was discussing his desire to have enough toilet paper on this trip. He spent a few hrs researching which brand of toilet paper would provide the most TP and would weigh the least. In fact, he was willing to pay into the funds for the building, for anybody to carry an extra roll for him!!!!!
That, piece of necessity I am assuming is one of his areas of "comfort" that will mean much to him on this trip. I'm sure he will learn to live without that comfort if need be and maybe it will be an area that he will find that he can be very thrifty with what he is given or provided with and will learn to live within the context of each situation he steps into. Can you "spare a square" Tony???!!!!! :)
My husband just told me this morning that as long as I am snoring next to him in bed that is all he needs to fall asleep at nights- especially in new surrounding. Thanks Hon!!! Glad to help you out there! Fair warning to any female bunk mates I may have on this trip....bring ear plugs - I can snore with the best of them!!! :) I'm sure there must be some spiritual contextual significance to the latter two illustrations...just can't think of it any.
All that to say, Its okay to enjoy things that bring us comfort, but above all.....lets not forget who our greatest comforter is. Lets remember to keep a Christ centered context as we prepare and go out to share the "Comforter" with those who have not seen, nor ears have heard of the Love of Christ, and who has come that they might have life!! And most all lets let go of our contexts, comforts and step into this trip with open hearts and a readiness to serve!
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